


here to there

by bestliars



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Iowa Wild, M/M, Minnesota Wild
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-25
Updated: 2013-11-25
Packaged: 2018-01-02 16:10:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1058859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bestliars/pseuds/bestliars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Climb mountains not so that the world can see you, but so that you can see the world! #Inspiration #BeastMode</p><p>(Or: it’s two hundred and fifty miles between Des Moines and the Twin Cities.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	here to there

**Author's Note:**

> the summary is something that Jason Zucker tweeted on 10/23/13, as well as asking for television recs.
> 
> Many many thanks to Stellarer and BessyBoo for encouraging this and betaing. <3

**October 12th, not yet morning**

Darcy has a choice between heading to Iowa straight after the game, or leaving first thing in the morning. He knows that if he spends the night in the Cities he'll get caught up in whatever first-goal celebrations happen. They're making a plan right now, trying to decide if it’s better to go somewhere that won't care how young Matt and Jonas are, or whether they should head to someone's apartment. Either way, staying in the Cities would almost certainly mean hitting the freeway with a hangover, which sounds like a bad idea, never mind how light the traffic might be on a Sunday morning.

If he leaves tonight the roads should be deserted. He'll make good time. It's a three and a half hour drive, more if you stop, less if you speed. He could get down there before two, probably. He could get a good six hours of sleep, skate a bit, then have a nap before the game at four.

It's a back to back for the Iowa Wild. They won their first game as a franchise tonight. He hasn't heard anything more than the score, 1-0, but he's proud of them. Two wins in a row sound like a pretty sweet way to start the season.

He doesn't feel tired. He's excited by the win, even if he was just sitting. It makes sense to hit the road. He sends a text so he'll be expected, and then starts the drive.

The stretch of road between the Cities and Des Moines is already starting to feel familiar. It's too dark to see anything, but there isn't much to see, just fields. His car is full of debris, gear is in the way back, along with a box he never managed to unload. He's leaving some stuff in the empty room at Charlie's place. He already seems bound to spend the season leaving things in different places and struggling to keep track of where they are.

The season's new now, and thrilling, but it's going to get long. It's going to drag. This doesn't upset him, he's been playing long enough to accept it as part of the life. Even when it gets exhausting there isn't anything he would rather be doing.

His energy fades as he gets closer to his destination, out of the country, and into the suburbs. He's nearly there, and he starts to think longingly of his bed. Not much further now, then he'll reach his apartment in the city center.

He's happy to sag against the wall of the elevator. He's almost home. It took a lot of effort. He fumbles with his key, trying to stay quiet so no one else wakes up. He toes off his sneakers and heads to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He leaves the rest of the lights off, and strips down to boxers and a t-shirt in the semi darkness. The bedroom is dimly lit by the street lights outside the window.

Jason is a lump curled in the middle of the bed, holding onto the covers tightly. Darcy sighs; Jason is a light sleeper, and he doesn't want to wake him up. For a minute he considers trying find the other stack of blankets that must be around somewhere, but he has no idea where, and it's getting too cold to sleep without any covers. 

He tries to gently tug the blanks out of Jason's grasp without disturbing him, but it's a lost cause.

"Hey," Jason says groggily. "You made it."

"Yep."

"Good, good. Now sleep. Don't tower, go to sleep." Jason is objecting to Darcy disturbing him by covering his eyes with his arm and pouting. This means letting go of the blankets, which is great, and also, the pouting is adorable.

"Yeah buddy, that's the plan, you just need to stop hogging all the blankets." Darcy slips under the covers.

"Your fault, not being here. You're much better at being a blanket."

That's one of the stranger compliments Darcy's received in his life, but it's three in the morning, and he'll take it.

"Well, I'm here now."

"Good." Jason pulls him closer. Darcy complies, situating himself so he's half on top of Jason, knowing how much Jason likes being squashed and surrounded, even if he won't admit it unless he's half asleep or still in the afterglow. Darcy likes it too, being so much bigger than Jason, and getting to drape his long limbs all over someone who likes him.

"We're going to sleep now," Jason says. "And it will be better than before, because you're here, but it will be better than this because we will be asleep."

Darcy agrees with all of this. He snuggles closer and closes his eyes.

**October 9th**

He finds out for sure that he’s getting called up first thing in the morning. It doesn’t come as a surprise. He already had a bag packed, sitting by the door.

He’s about to head out when he gets a text from Jason.

_I’m headed back to Des Moines. Want to meet in Clear Lake for breakfast?_

Clear Lake is roughly halfway between the Cities and Des Moines. They figured out ages ago, not long after the move from Houston was announced.

Darcy texts back, _Yeah, I’m headed out now, see you there._

This isn’t how Darcy thought it would work when they were looking at potential meetup spots. He figured that Jason would spend most of the year in the NHL and he’d spend most of the year in the AHL, and when they had any free time they’d meet in the middle. He was surprised when Jason didn’t make the team out of camp, and he’s surprised now that Jason is going back down after just one game. He understands how it’s happening, the actual moves make sense, but it isn’t at all what he would have predicted.

Darcy gets to the diner first. It’s an hour and half from Des Moines, two hours from Saint Paul. Jason shows up ten minutes later. He’s a fast driver; it’s the Vegas boy in him, a little bit reckless and used to straight line highways through the desert. Darcy doesn’t like to think about that too much.

They order breakfast. Darcy already had coffee in front of him, but they both get food, the #5 and #7 specials respectively. Before long there are full plates to dig into, eggs and sausages and toast.

After breakfast they get back in their cars, but don’t head in opposite directions, not yet. Darcy follows Jason down a series of turns he hasn’t memorized yet, stopping in a leafy cul de sac. They meet in the backseat. Darcy has a big vehicle, but he’s a big guy, so there still isn’t enough room for his legs. There’s even less room when Jason leans in for a kiss. Darcy doesn’t care.

They don’t have time, five, maybe ten minutes. All they’re going to do is kiss, but that’s better than nothing. 

Breathless, Jason says, “Maybe I don’t care about public indecency.”

“Yes, you do,” Darcy says, which really means, _maybe you don’t, but I do, so no._

“Yeah, I guess,” Jason agrees, then kisses him again.

After that Darcy says, “I really should head out.”

“You really should.” Another kiss, it should be a shorter kiss, a kiss goodbye, but it keeps on going. Jason’s hands sneak up Darcy’s shirt, feeling out the planes of muscle, giving Darcy something to press into.

When they break apart Darcy’s breathing heavily and having a hard time focusing on anything other than Jason’s mouth. He knows they can’t keep going, and he hates it.

He checks the time and says, “I really have to go if I don’t want to be late.”

“You’ll be fine,” Jason says.

“Yeah, if I drive like you.”

Jason laughs, but doesn’t defend himself. Darcy really likes how Jason looks when he laughs.

“No, but really, get out of my car or I’m going to wind up bringing you to Saint Paul.” That doesn’t sound so bad, not at all, but they both know that can’t happen. They can stop, leaving to drive in different directions, headed off to be responsible people.

Jason opens the door and moves to go. “Text me when you get to the Cities?”

“Okay. And let me know when you get to Des Moines? You have keys, right?”

“Yeah.”

Then Jason’s gone. He gets back in his own car and heads South. Darcy sits there for a minute longer before resigning himself to starting the drive half-hard.

Darcy pays attention to the road, heading up I-35. He listens to country music on satellite radio, but after three songs in a row that seem to be about missing someone he turns it off. Silence is alright. He can take in the sights instead. At first it’s mostly fields, lots of fields, endless on both sides of the road. Flat boring fields everywhere he looks. Boring, but good driving. He should be able to make up for the time he lost.

He gets pulled over for speeding just past Albert Lea. He’s lucky to just get a warning, and not a ticket, but Jason is never going to let him hear the end of this.

Small towns give way to suburbs, until he’s downtown, getting there just in time. After practice he follows Charlie home, so glad he isn’t staying in a hotel. Charlie and Jason decided to live together again, and Darcy always intended to stay with them if he got called up. Not quite like this, though. He gets an empty room, but he’d rather be warm with Jason next to him.

Darcy goes to throw his stuff in the bedroom and finds a note waiting on the unmade bed. He sits down to read it.

_I’m going to see you befor your read this, and I don’t really have anything to say, but I felt like I should do something. If I was a better boyfriend (that still sounds weird) I’d know what to do, but w/e. I almost tried to do something corney/romantic, but there isn’t time to pick up flowers or chocolate before I have to go. anyway. I’m sure you’re going to be great. Miss you. —J_

**October 12, afternoon**  
The game doesn’t go the way Darcy wants it to. They lose, 4-2. It’s all tied up in the third, then Jason gets a five minute major and a game misconduct for a hit to the head. The Barons score twice on the ensuing power play. 

The mood in the locker room after the third isn’t too good. They have to head back out in a minute to sign things, but they get a moment to catch their breath. Darcy finds Jason sitting in his stall with his eyes closed. 

“I’d maybe be mad at you, but that sounds like too much work.” Darcy would be mad at Jason if it felt like there would be time later to forgive him. But he’s almost certainly flying to Buffalo in the morning, and who knows how long it will be until they see each other again. Being angry now would be a waste of time. 

“I’m sorry, or whatever, I guess,” Jason mumbles. He doesn’t mumble much. Normally he speaks very clearly. Darcy would be more inclined to stay mad at Jason if he didn’t think that Jason is already plenty mad at himself.

“But hey, now we get to sign stuff. There’s gonna be a bunch of kids, that should be cool.”

“Yeah,” Jason sighs.

“Don’t beat yourself up. The game’s over. Let’s get this over with and go home.” They should take advantage of having the rest of the day to hang out instead of dwelling on things they can’t change.

Jason looks up at him with dark eyes. “Yeah, that sounds alright.”

**October 5th**

Jason gets called up after two games. The Iowa Wild haven’t even started their season yet when the call comes. There’s nothing fun about seeing a friend get hurt, but Jason is excited to be headed back to Minnesota.

Darcy’s going to miss him.

He got a week more than he thought he would, a week of Jason moping around the apartment, impatient and not as healthy as he had pretended for the last few days of training camp. It was still a good week. They’re getting ready for hockey, but they also got to spend time together, which was _nice._ Jason’s been warm in his bed, stealing all the covers and kicking Darcy’s shins. He’s gotten to wake up with Jason’s bare skin against his. The past week will be something Darcy can think about when Jason’s gone.

**October 12th, evening**

Darcy isn’t staying. He’s spending the night, maybe another day, but he’ll be leaving again soon. It’s exciting. He’s going to be in the NHL. There’s a good chance he’ll start in Toronto. He’s going to be along for at least part of the Florida trip, which means some great weather. It really is a good opportunity. But part of him just doesn’t want to leave. It seems like Jason is touching him more than usual. Just little things, nudging his hip in the kitchen, tapping his shoulder as he walks past. Darcy isn’t sure if this is something new that Jason’s doing, taking advantage of Darcy’s presence, or if it’s something old that became unfamiliar in their brief time apart. Either way, Darcy likes it.

**September 29th**

Jason is one of the last cuts. He lasts longer than almost everyone else. Darcy is busy in Iowa, getting used to the weird feeling of playing for the same team in a new city, but from everything he hears it comes down to the wire. One of the forwards on an entry level deal was always going to start the season in Iowa. Jason got hurt at the wrong time, didn’t knock any socks off, and when a hard decision had to be made he’s the one who gets sent down.

Sure, that maybe sucks, except for how it means Jason’s on his way to Des Moines, and should get in sometime before dinner.

**October 18th**

Darcy meets the Iowa Wild in Charlotte. It’s weird — Iowa Wild, Minnesota Wild — it trips him up. Honestly, he still sometimes thinks of himself as an Aero, before remembering that team doesn’t exist anymore, at least not with that name. Jason is traveling with the team, but not playing. He’s suspended for two games because of what happened last weekend.

They’re both watching on Saturday, Jason from the pressbox, Darcy from the bench. It’s a better outcome than the last few games he watched. The Wild outplay the Checkers, and even manage to come up with a 3-1 win. They share a hotel room, fooling around on one bed, sleeping in the other. Hotels aren’t as nice in the AHL as they are in the NHL but Darcy sleeps better here, with Jason beside him. Darcy gets the start on Sunday. They win that too, scoring seven goals while he only lets in two.

It’s a long bus ride home. Charlotte is equally far from Houston and Des Moines, but this year they’re slanting North instead of South. The roll of the road is soothing, and Jason is using his shoulder as a pillow. Darcy falls asleep easily. 

**June**

Over the summer they see each other on the road tour, and that’s when they finally talk about what they’re doing. They spent all season not talking about what they’ve been doing, but it looks like if they want it to keep going they’re going to have to talk about it. They’re headed into a situation that’s going to require a lot of communication and intent if it’s going to work. They’re probably going to play in different cities next year. Darcy doesn’t know the odds, but he’d put money on Jason playing most of the season in the NHL while he spends most the season in the AHL. It looks like a good bet. If they want to keep going they’re going to have to go out of their way to keep in touch. They’re going to have to work for it.

That’s alright though. Whatever they’re doing is worth it. Darcy’s pretty sure of that, but less sure about what to call whatever it is they’re doing.

They bypassed the word boyfriend, they sidestepped the idea of dating. They’ve been hanging out. They’ve been hooking up. It’s cool, they’re buddies.

But if they’re buddies, if that’s all they are, then why are they trying so hard?

Darcy has a theory: it’s because they aren’t just hanging out, aren’t just hooking up, aren’t just buddies; while they weren’t paying attention they became something else. They should probably talk about it.

Darcy tries to explain this theory, aided by quite a few beers after too many hours spent in the sun. Jason listens semi-patiently, but interrupts a sentence to kiss him. When they break apart Jason says, “I think you’re probably right.”

“Yeah?” Darcy asks.

Jason nods. “Yeah, and I think we can be awesome, if you want to try.”

“Yeah, I, that sounds good. I want that.”

“Great,” Jason says, then kisses him again.

**October 23**

Jason looks up from his phone to say, “This is kind of nice. I mean, there’s something depressing about playing in the minors in Iowa — it just _sounds_ sad — but really, it’s alright.”

“Oh yeah?” Darcy agrees, he’s pretty happy here, but he always figured he would spend most of the year in the A. He came into the season with different expectations than Jason, who rather reasonably thought he could work enough to make the big team straight out of camp. Only he wound up here, and wasn’t that happy about it at first, but it seems like he’s over that now.

“I definitely like parts of it,” Jason says. “Like, I like that we get to hang out and watch TV.”

That’s what they’re doing right now, lying in bed, too lazy to really get up after their nap and the slow sleepy waking-up sex. Darcy is propped up against the headboard, Jason laying mostly on top of him. He’s heavy and warm — it’s cozy.

“Yeah, I like this too,” Darcy says. It won’t last. Something else is going to happen, and one of them is going to get called up. But until then this is good. It’s _really, really,_ good. Even if they have to work at it, even if they’re apart more often than not, it’s worth it.

“I’d rather be in Minnesota — no offense — but I guess this isn’t so bad.”

Darcy laughs. He gets the sentiment, but _not bad_ isn’t much of a compliment. “Jeeze, I’m flattered.”

Jason turns around to look him in the eye and say, “No, I mean, that this is such a treat. If I was in Minnesota right now, I wouldn’t get to lie on you, and that would suck, but I’d still _be_ with you, and that’s what really matters.”

“Wow, that’s actually sweet.”

“I’m totally sweet,” Jason objects.

“Yeah, sometimes. But lately you’ve mostly been complaining. Or demanding sex, which I’m really okay with.”

Jason laughs. “Well, if you don’t mind, how about we…”

Darcy laughs and kisses him. This isn’t exactly what he expected from the season, but they can make it work. Darcy knows they’re both dedicated to trying, and he’s pretty sure they’ll be good no matter what. 

This is good, Darcy’s happy here, and Jason seems to have come around. Hopefully in a few years they’ll both be playing in Minnesota, and that will be even better. Darcy doesn’t want to think that far ahead. He doesn’t want to look much further than the kiss right now, and maybe a few moves ahead. He wants to move so Jason is on top of him, instead of beside him. They shouldn’t be wearing so many clothes. He should turn off the tv. They should keep on kissing, for a really long time. There isn’t anywhere they have to be. They’re here, together, for the time being; Darcy knows they’re lucky, and they should take advantage of this while they can. He kisses Jason again.


End file.
